The application of third party logistics to implement the Just-In-Time system with minimum cost under a global environment

The integration of the Just-In-Time (JIT) system with supply chain management has been attracting more and more attention recently. Within the processes of the JIT system, the upstream manufacturer is required to deliver products using smaller delivery lot sizes, at a higher delivery frequency. For the upstream manufacturer who adopts sea transportation to deliver products, a collaborative third party logistics (3PL) can act as an interface between the upstream manufacturer and the downstream partner so that the products can be delivered globally at a lower cost to meet the JIT needs of the downstream partner. In this study, a quantitative JIT cost model associated with the application of third party logistics is developed to investigate the optimal production lot size and delivery lot size at the minimum total cost. Finally, a Taiwanese optical drive manufacturer is used as an illustrative case study to demonstrate the feasibility and rationality of the model. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.